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Recipe of the Day: Fast Potato Gratin

By Mark Bittman March 18, 2009 10:50 amMarch 18, 2009 10:50 am

More festive than your average potato dish — probably because it contains more fat — this gratin is made by poaching the potatoes in milk or cream instead of water, which halves the cooking time. The end result is beautifully browned, with a crispy top.

Fast Potato Gratin

Summary

I remember distinctly when I "invented" this, after years of making potato gratins in a variety of different ways. I was pretty pleased, and remain in love with it.

Ingredients

2 pounds all-purpose potatoes, peeled

Salt and pepper

1 teaspoon minced garlic, or a fine grating of nutmeg, optional

2 tablespoons butter

2 to 3 cups half-and-half or milk

Method

1. Slice potatoes thinly. Layer in a nonstick ovenproof skillet, sprinkling between layers with salt and pepper, and garlic or nutmeg, if you like. Dot with butter, then add enough half-and-half or milk to come about three-quarters of the way to the top. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. Place skillet on stove top over high heat, and bring potatoes to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high, and cook for about 10 minutes or until the level of liquid and potatoes drops. Put in oven, and cook until top is browned, about 10 minutes. Turn heat down to 300 degrees, and cook until potatoes are tender, about 10 minutes more. Serve or keep warm in oven for up to 30 minutes.

Add a few bay leaves and take out the butter, and this is a rough version of a “gratin dauphinois”, the classic potato gratin dish from the Dauphiné region of southeastern France (where I’m currently studying abroad in Grenoble). In a traditional gratin dauphinois, you boil potatoes in milk/cream until tender and then put them into a gratin dish, add bay leaves, garlic, salt, pepper and cream to fill dish, and bake for 45 min-1 hour.

Mark, I’ve been making fast potato gratin for years, but my method is simpler, if I may say so. I start with the milk, or cream, or a mixture of the two poured into the gratin pan; the amount is something you just have to learn, but I’d say perhaps a cup of liquid for two pounds of potatoes, which I pour into the gratin dish, and turn on the stove. It can be flavored with garlic, nutmeg, or whatever turns you on. I then layer the potatoes right into heating liquid, sprinkle each layer with salt, pepper, cheese, anything I feel like, even sliced tomatoes, and keep layering until all the potatoes are used – depending on the size of the pan, I usually get two layers of potatoes. Then top with butter, or butter and bread crumbs, or butter, bread crumbs, and cheese, all mixed together, and sprinkle over all, then bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 to 25 minutes. This recipe is so forgiving that, if it does not seem to be cooking quickly enough and/or the liquid is not cooking down quickly enough, and/or it is not browning enough, I just up the heat a bit, to 425, or even 450. You can also sneak in a few pieces of ham, or cooked sausage, etc. You know all this, of course.

This is a go-to, no-fail potato recipe for me. I normally start with a nice layer of fat (butter) layer the potatoes on with S&P, nutmeg/garlic and if I’m feeling like some real comfort food, whatever cheese is in my fridge. I then turn up the heat pretty high so the bottom layer gets deep golden and crunchy, lower the heat, pour on the cream/milk, bring to a boil. Immediately set to simmer for 7 or 8 minutes, then the skillet goes directly into a 400 degree oven. If you would like a one-pan meal, throw sliced cauliflower in or some pancetta, bits of pork, etc. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Easy.

I tried this technique which I truly loved. Shortcuts are fabulous when you just start cooking dinner at 7:30pm! I was surprised, though, that there was no mention of cheese, so I added some grated colby and jack cheese. It was delicious. Thanks Mark for a great recipe!